how it works

specialty coffee: a growing sector with a need for talent

Excellent baristas can be hard to come by — as hard as finding a job without relevant experience. Pro Baristas helps the booming speciality coffee sector hire well-rounded talent while opening pathways for young people in a compelling new field.

In the drive to make coffee more delicious, speciality coffee shops face a shortage of skilled staff. Training is expensive, turnover is high and social investment is often an afterthought.

Meanwhile, an alarming number of NEETs (those not in education, employment or training) face adulthood without the leverage to wedge their way into a satisfying occupation — though many are keen to work in coffee.

Pro Baristas offers a way into professional work for the underemployed, from year-long apprenticeships to SCAE-certified short courses and bespoke, long-term coaching for people lacking confidence and support.

Pro Baristas' in-house curriculum covers both industry-leading coffee certificates and a holistic approach to employability. English and maths, business skills, coffee sourcing and hospitality are among the subjects covered. We also train on the latest tech, including Nuova Simonelli Aurelia 2s with T3 technology and temperature-controlled Mythos One grinders.

Above all, Pro Baristas cultivates community and creativity for people at different stages of life looking to find satisfying work.

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING

Andrew Tolley

Co-Founder of Taylor St. Baristas

Finding the right people for your speciality coffee business is hard. Finding the right people with relevant skills is nigh on impossible. Pro Baristas is changing this. It develops the hard and soft skills that speciality focused coffee businesses need from their people, so that they can deliver the service and quality of coffee that customers want.

Pro Baristas offered highly informative and visual classes with lots of practical hands on experience. Everyone was friendly, passionate and willing to learn which made our classes very interesting and rewarding. 

Monique Gilbert

Apprenticeship Graduate

Rachel Elliot

Apprenticeship Graduate

The apprenticeship scheme allowed me to learn, work and make life-long friends, all while getting a qualification that I can use internationally. The knowledge gained from the course is completely priceless and has given me a career in a field I enjoy.

The support I was given to find a job was amazing. In fact, I got the job I had been put in contact with the day I passed my exam! It was fantastic.

Randa Toko

Barista Foundations Graduate

One of The observer's "50 best things in food"

get in touch

Are you a coffee employer in need of talent? A young person looking to get started? An event manager in search of pop-up coffee service? Talk to us.

get in touch

Are you a coffee employer in need of talent? A young person looking to get started? An event manager in search of pop-up coffee service? Talk to us.